How to fix a mobile internet connection

My phone won't connect to mobile data, how do I fix it?

Sometimes smartphones develop strange temporary faults for no apparent reason. One of the most common is a complete loss of mobile internet, which means you can only get online when connected to Wi-Fi. If you’re having this problem, keep reading for our top tips to try and fix it.

If you do see one of those symbols it means your phone is connected to the internet, so the speed must be too slow. If that’s the case, call your network to see if there’s a problem in your area.

Turn your phone off and on again

The low-tech fixes are often the best. And in any case, they’re always the best place to start. So the first step, once you’ve made sure your phone’s not connecting to mobile internet, is to turn it off. Leave it 30 seconds and turn it back on.

If an app’s malfunctioned or the phone’s not been reading the SIM card properly, this will reset it.

Take your SIM card out

If a simple restart of your phone hasn’t worked, the next thing to do is to check the SIM card. Switch the phone off again and remove your SIM card. Check the SIM slot and the card itself to make sure there are no obvious lumps of dust, then pop it back in and turn the phone on.

This makes sure the SIM card hadn’t been knocked out of place and there's no debris in the way.

Check your APN settings

If your phone still won’t connect to mobile internet, it’s time to try something more technical. The APN settings are what the SIM card uses to sign in to your network’s mobile data signal. So now you’ll need to check that everything’s exactly right. Follow the links below to find out how to check and set the APN settings for your network.

If your phone still won’t connect to mobile internet, it could have a more serious problem. But don’t worry, just take it into your local Carphone Warehouse store and the in-store staff will be happy to have a look at it. Click here to find your nearest branch.

Got any questions? Drop us a comment below, and we'll get right back to you.